Candle-finishing machine



E. J. ENGMAN CANDLE FINISHING MACHINE um. 29,1924. l 1,482,001

FiI-led June 28, 1923 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l molds.

Patented Jan. i9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

,Application vfiled June 28, 1923. Serial No. 848,192.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, EvALD J. ENGMAN, a citizen of the United States, andresiding at St. Bernard, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Candle- FinishingMachines, of whichthe following specification is a full disclosure.

This invention relates to improvements in'candle finishing machines inwhich the candles, after being molded, are drawn through heatedfinishing dies, during which operation superfluous material is removed,and the candles smoothed and given uniform dimension. Thel inventionherein is particularly directed to improved mechanism. for drawing thecandles through the dies, and includes two reciprocable mutuallycounterbalanced frames having hooks, upon which the candles are adaptedto be hung, and thereafter drawn slowly through the An object oftheinvention is to sim lify the structure andincrease eflciency ooperation, by providing means for starting either frame upwardly fromits lowermost position after the candles have been suitably connectedtherewith', to draw the candles slowly through the dies, and alsoproviding means for automatically stopping each frame or carriage in itslowermost or loading position.

Another object is to conserve operatingl power by mounting the twoframes in mutually counterbalanced relation, one frame being connectedat each'I end of a fiexible drive element, which element is engagedover, suspended from, and www by acompanion drive element upon anintermittently and periodically rotatable shaft. l

Another object of the invention is to provide for a relatively slowmotion or rate of travel of the frames.

Another object of the invention is to provide a finishing die, by theuse of which superfluous materia-l will be positively removed from thecandle, and from the finishing die after the candle is drawntherethrough, producing a finished candle and insuring clean dies aftereach drawing operation.

Another object is to provide reciprocable candle carrying membersoperable from a common reversible ower shaft, and suspended at oppositesides of said shaft and 'upon a drive element operable by said ingsforming a part of this specification, in v,

which drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved candle inishin machine;

Figure 2 is a si e elevation, with a diagrammatic representation of` theelectrical apparatus connected with, and operable by the machine formachine control;

Figure 3 is a fra entary vertical section an line 3 3 of igure 1;

'Figure 4 is a horizontal section on line 4 4 of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed transverse section through the heatingchamber and one of the improved dies.

rllhe device ormachine herein comprises a hollow rectangular casing 1 asa heatin chamber, the casin having formed integra therewith a pluralityof vertically disposed guide tubes 2, as die holders, traversing thechamber from top to bottom and arranged in rows. Thechamber is providedat its bottom with inlet and outlet pipes 3, 4, by which' steam or hotwater is introduced into and allowed to escape from the chamber, to heatthe tubes 2 and improved dies 10 disposed therein,l YMounted uponv thecas ing are guide rods, respectively 5, 6 arranged in pairs, saidrods'being in vertical parallel relation, andy each pair beingopposingly placed centrally of adjacent rows of dies 10, see Fig. 4,Slidably mounted upon the rods 5 is a frame 7, and upon the rods 6 aframe 8, each frame being connected at one end of a sprocket chain 9,which is engaged with a sprocket wheel 9a mounted on a suitablehorizontally disposed shaft l1, as an intermittently rotatable element,held in bearings 12 at the top of the'frame and extending beyond theframe at one side.

rlhe framesor carriages, as reciprocable eler` ments, are thussuspendedat opposite sides of a rotatable element and are supported in mutuallybalanced condition. The frames are adapted to be alternately raised andlowered for disposing the mutually parallel rows of lon shank hooks13,14, attachedito the lower en s of the frames, respective] below thecasing 1 to receive the candles and above the casin 1v in aposition forcandle removal. he hooks 13, 14 traverse the dies 10, one of which diesis inserted in each tube 2 and locked therein by element 16 engaging thecircumferential groove 17 at the bottom of the die. Each die is flangedat the top as at 19, and the bore of each is provided with aplurality-of spaced circumferential substantially semicircular grooves20. rEhe bores of the dies are taperezl upwardly,

and the said grooves are provided adjajau cent the top or smallerdiameter end of the bore. The upper edge of the groove acts to scrapeod' surplus material, and the grooves function as circular pockets totemporarily -receive and store the material until the candle leaves thedie, after which the melted material runs out of the groofe downwardlythrou h the bore, and prei erably into a suitab e drip receptacle placedbeneath the chamber l, said receptacle not herein being shown. 4

As before mentioned, the candles are placed upon the hooks after saidhooks have The shaft 11 at its' outer` end has the worm gear 30 meshingwith a companion worm 31 mounted kupon. a motor shaft 33 of areversible, slow speed motor 32. The motor 32, in this instance, ismounted at the top of the machine upon a bracket 34 attached vto a crossmember 35, in which member the upper ends of the guide rods 3, 4 arestepped. The motor is operable by switches in a manner hereinbeforedisclosed, a detailed description of which switches and the electricalconnections therefor, follows.

At one Side of the casing` 1 and disposed in the pathy of veach frame,are the limit switches 40, 41, lrespectively for the frames 8, 7, seeFig. 2. Each switch is enga cable the lower end of its `respective rame,and serves to. break or open the motor circuit to stop the motor. Belowthe switches as starting, and stopping or limit' switches.

40, 41, in a convenient position, are the starting switches 42,43operable for ymaking or closing the circuit,'to start the motor inreverse direction. The limit and starting switches control main lineswitches having armatures respectively 50, 51. Limit switch and startingswitch 42 control the armature of one main line switch, and the limitswitch 41 and starting switch 43 control the armature 51 of the othermain line switch. As shown in Fig. 2, when the frames are traveling inthe direction indicated by the arrows a, Z2, the armature 50 isclosed,'and armature 51 open. When the bottom of the frame 8 engages thelimit switch40, the circuit will be broken, main line armature 50 willbe released or opened, and the motor will come to rest. When it isdesired to start the motor in a reverse direction, to draw the frame 8upwardly and lower frame 7, the button of the starting switch 43 isdepressed to close the main line armature 51. A slow speed motor isused, so that the candles may be drawn at a rela- `tive slow rate of seed through the dies,

only so much oft e motor,circuit being herein shown as is necessary t0anunderstandin of the operation. The main lines are indlcated at 60, 61,the main line being connected with the shunt' winding 62 of the motor,the opposite terminal of the winding being connected by the conductors63, 64, 65, respectively with the terminals 66, 67 of the main lineswitches having armatures 50, 51. The opposite terminals 68, 69 ofrespective switches vare connected with the main line 61,

through conductors 70, 71. Conductors 72, 73 connect main line switcharmatures 50, 5l with the motor armature terminals '75), 76. Thearmature 50 is controlled by the coil 80,` one terminal of the coilbeing connected by the conductor 81 with one terminal of the limitswitch 40. The other terminal of the coil is connected by the conductor82 with one terminal of the starting switch 43. 4The armature 51 iscontrolled by thecoil 90, one terminal of which is connected by theconductor 91 with one terminal of the limit switch 41, the oppositeterminal of the coil 90 being connected by the conductor 93 with oneterminal of the starting switch 42. The opposite terminals of bothstarting switches are connected by the conductor 95 with the `conductor70, and the opposite terminals of both starting switches are connectedby the conductor 96 with thtl main line 60.

With-the frames positioned as shown in Fig. 2 and in movement as thereinrepresented, current is being received through main lire 60, shuntwinding 62, conductors 63, 64, armature 51,l conductor 73, terminal 75,lthrough motor armature winding, not shown, terminal 76, conductor 72,armature "50 of the man switch to contact 68, vconswitch 43. When thebottom of frame V' engages the limit switch 40 and breaks the circult atthat point, the mainl line switch will be released or opened, and theframes will come to rest.

A means is hereby provided whereby the starting of the machlne may bemanually initiated, and whereb the stoppinv of the same 'isautomaticallycontrolle The power is only used while the machine is operating, thepower shaft being intermittently rotated in opposite directionsconformable to motor reversal. By this arrangement current consumptionis considerabl reduced.

aving described-my invention, I claim: 1. In a machine for' finishingcandles,

finishing dies, means for drawing candlesv through said dies com risingmutually counterbalanced reciproca le members, and means for actuatingsaid members.

2. In a machine for finishing candles, finishing dies, means for drawingcandles through said dies comprising a reversible shaft having asprocket wheel thereon, a sprocket chain engaged with said sprocketwheel, and two reciprocable frames adapted to support candles, suspendedone at each terminal of said sprocket chain2 and mutuallyoounterbalanced at opposite sides of said shaft.

3. In a machine for finishing candles, a plurality of upright vdieshaving upwardly tapered bores, means for drawing candles through thebores from below upwardly, said means comprising a reversible shaft, aflexible suspendlng element in driving connection with said shaft,reciprocable members at opposite sides of said shaft, one at each end ofsaid suspending element, means upon each reci rocable member forattaching candles, sai members being related to said dies in such mannerthat the candle attaching means of one frame, when in their lowermostposition, are projected within and below said dies, while the attachingmeans of the 'other frame are disposed a substantial distance above saiddies. '4. A machine for finishing candles, having tubular finishingdies, means for drawing candles through said dies, comprisingreciprocable members, and means for actuat- .ing said members, includingan electrical motor and a motorcontrolling switch en` gageable bysaid-membersfor automatically I stopping said motor.

5. 'In a machine for finishing candles, tubular finishing dies, meansfor drawing candles through said dies, comprising reciprocable frames,meansv for actuating ,said frames, including an electrical motor,n1otor` controlling switches engageable by said frames for stopping thesaid motor,

and manually operable motor controlling switches for starting saidmotor.

6. In, a machine for finishing candles, tubular-finishing dies, meansfor drawing candles through said dies, 'comprising a shaft having asprocket wheel thereon, a reversible motor for alternately reversingshaft rotation, two reciprocable frames for y supporting the candles,said frames suspended by a sprocket chain engaged with said sprocketwheel and mutually counterbalanced ato posite sides of said shaft, amotor control lng switch for each frame operable'by its correspondingframe when in lowermost position, for stopping said frame, and switchesfor starting and conl trolling motor operation in reverse directions. l

7. In' a machine for finishing candles, a plurality of upright tubularupwardly tapered dies, means for drawing candles throughthe dies frombelow upwardly, said means comprising reciprocable members,.

means for actuating said members, including an electrical motor, motorcontrolling switches alternately engageable by said members for stoppingthe motor, and motor controlling switches manually operable for startingtheJ motor in reverse dlrections.

8. In a machine for finishing candles,

tubular finishing dies, means for drawing a candle through said dies,comprising a shaft, a reversible motor for alternately reversing andintermittently rotating said shaft, two reciprocable elements for suporting the candles in a position to vdrawn through said dies, saidelements suspended and mutually counterbalanced at opposite sides of arotatable element upon and operable by said shaft, a motor controllingswitchfor eachframe operable by respec'` tive franes for stopping saidframes, land motor controlllng switches for startlng and controllingmotor operation in reverseses directions, to raise each frame fromlower-lmost position. y

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested :by the'two subscribing witnesses.v l r EvlgiLD J; ENGMAN.A

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